Left parties to contest next Bihar Assembly elections together

Patna: Claiming an increase in their vote share in the recently concluded Assembly bye-elections, three major Left parties on Wednesday decided to contest the state Assembly elections next year together to provide a viable ‘Left option’ against the NDA and JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance.

"The CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) allied to contest the bye-elections and noticed their vote share has gone up. It shows that voters accepted the unity of Left parties.

"We have now decided to fight the next Assembly elections together to provide a viable Left option. We will soon embark on our campaign," said CPI(ML) state secretary Kunal.

The three parties held a joint meeting at the Bihar headquarters of CPI at which several top state and central leaders were present where the decision regarding contesting the next elections was taken.

"It is the demand of the time. The so-called grand alliance of JD(U)-RJD-Congress can't check the danger of BJP-led NDA in the state because the medical scam has revealed their true character to the masses.

"Only Left unity can stop the saffron party in its tracks and at the same time take care of the welfare of the people," said CPI State Secretary Rajendra Prasad Singh.

Leaders of the three Left parties alleged that leaders of both NDA and the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance were involved the scam of around Rs 25 crore in the purchase of medicines and medical equipment and called for a white paper from the state government on the scam, while demanding a probe by an independent agency into it under direct supervision of the Patna High Court.

"The medical scam shows how leaders of both alliances have no regard for the health of the poor. We condemn this and demand that the state government publish a white paper on it. It should be probed by an independent agency under direct supervision of the high court," said CPI(M) state committee member Sarvoday Sharma.

Inadequate flood-relief distribution and not providing the poor with food grains under the Food Security Act also came under heavy criticism by the Left leaders.